Mayor Meets with
Edison Towers Residents to Discuss Crime
Story & photographs by José Pérez
In a political landscape where well-heeled
super-interests seem to have all of our elected officials’ attention, the
thought of a regular citizen, an average Joe having the mayor of a major city
come to speak to a group of senior citizens seems to be merely the stuff of which
Frank Capra movies are made. But things are not always as they seem and,
yes, an average Joe can make things
happen –even when his name is not really Joe.
James Stubbs, of the Edison Towers Tenant Association in
Liberty City, spent most of the past summer – about three to four months –
lobbying to get the mayor and the police chief to come speak at one of that
group’s monthly meetings about concerns over crime in the area. Specifically, the residents wanted to press
directly for the assignment of a permanent, full-time beat cop to patrol the
stretch of NW 7th Avenue that runs between 54th and 62nd
Streets.
“We’ve had quite a few robberies,” said Stubbs. A retired Miami police officer, Stubbs ran
through a list of recent crimes that have affected the area: a bank heist, a stabbing at a bus stop, a
smash & grab theft at a gas station, and even the shooting of an off duty
police officer during a robbery – outside of his church.
Stubbs’ efforts were partially successful as Miami Mayor Tomás
Regalado came to last week’s resident meeting at Edison Towers but not Police
Manuel Orosa (who had to cancel shortly before) to address those concerns. Regalado brought with him a few members of
his staff and two police commanders in lieu of the chief (Commander Dana Carr
from the Model City NET Office spoke with residents, too). The importance of the chief’s participation
was simple: “Only the chief of police
can authorize a beat cop assignment,” said Stubbs.
Mayor: ‘I will talk to the chief about the beat cop’
Regalado wasted little time in answering the biggest
question of the evening. “Yes! I will
talk to the chief about the beat cop,” declared Regalado. “People are complaining about it and the
police department is doing something about it.”
“I guarantee to have more officers reassigned from desk jobs
and more new hires will be deployed,” promised Regalado to the Tenants’
Association. “In the next weeks, there
will be more police visibility here.”
For people in
attendance like Angela Kelly, Vice President of the Tacolcy Economic
Development Corporation, the mayor’s guarantee was good to hear but, as she
told Regalado, “it takes commitment.”
Citing both
history (“we used to have a beat cop here”) and basic dollars and cents (“we
would like to continue to develop the economic base for the 7th
Avenue Corridor”), Kelly echoed what Stubbs had alluded to at the beginning of
the meeting about allocation of resources.
For example, the area formerly known as Wynwood and now dubbed the
Midtown Design District has two beat cops around the clock. “I don’t understand
how other communities have beat cops and we don’t,” asked Kelly.
Regalado’s
message – and promise – were what residents wanted to hear. “Let us try because we [Chief Orosa &
Regalado] are trying to work with all residents,” said the mayor. “We are working for the present and the
future.”
And does
Regalado have confidence that Orosa will back up his pledge? “I trust him,” said Regalado.
“So do I,”
said Stubbs.
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